Caught
by HoneyBear1874
Summary: She was trying to escape. Clair/OC
1. I

**Prologue:**

"You know, if you showed a little leg, you'd get more tips."

Elizabeth didn't even glance up from the glasses she was cleaning. "No."

"Hey, look at me." Connie put her hands on her hips and fluttered her eyelashes. "I've only been here three months to your seven, and I've gotten three times as many tips. Why do you think that is?" she asked coyly.

Elizabeth pretended to give it some thought. "Pity?"

Connie pouted with glossy red lips. "No! Because I doll myself up and actually smile when I take their order." she glanced at her friend pointedly. "Unlike some people. I don't see why you're even in customer service if you can't be friendly."

"I need the money and I make good drinks." Elizabeth finished the last glass; it was getting late and their break was going to be interrupted by a bunch of strung out businessmen who desperately needed to get wasted. She checked in the back and took inventory.

Connie followed and shook her head wearily. "You won't get more money if you keep up the cold bitch routine."

Elizabeth walked back to the front counter and smiled slightly, used to Connie's crass choice of words. "I don't mean to; I'm just doing my job. I don't need the extra tips anyway."

A rowdy group of men came from the gaming floor; Connie flashed them all a sweet smile and a playful wink. "What can I get you boys?"

"A round of tequila shots to start out and keep 'em coming!" One of the men said robustly; his friends all gave him high fives and whooped loudly. Elizabeth refrained from rolling her eyes as Connie fluttered over them. Connie was a nice enough person, but to say she was flighty was an understatement; still, Elizabeth had to admit, she had just charmed about half of the group out of $20, not including what they owed for the drinks.

" _If only I had her confidence. Oh well."_ she went over to a man who had a woman on each arm, no doubt thinking he was a huge big-shot.

"Hey sweetie, when do you get off?" he asked with a suggestive grin.

"I'm not allowed to divulge that information to you sir, Don's policy."

The man tensed up a bit and laughed nervously. "In that case, three martinis for me and these beautiful ladies." The women giggled and wrapped themselves around the guy like snakes; no doubt they were simply after free drinks. The man seemed oblivious, or maybe he didn't care; Elizabeth sure didn't.

She made his drinks with a tiny smirk. True, she was fibbing a little to get him to back off, but not really; while it was a rule to not date paying customers, it wasn't the Vampire's policy. Elizabeth wasn't even sure how much he got involved with the employees of the casino or even if he had anything to do with the policies and going ons of this place.

In fact, Elizabeth had never seen him, but that suited her just fine; rumor was, he was insane and violent. There was a lot of stories that floated around about him and all of them were whispered about very carefully in case someone of importance heard. Connie had once told Elizabeth that the Vampire had his men placed around the casino to keep a lookout for members of other mafia families and troublesome guests; these men didn't think twice about putting a bullet through someone's skull.

That Elizabeth had no problem believing, though her father would say she should never make assumptions and that gut instincts should be carefully considered.

 _"Stop."_ Elizabeth commanded herself. _"Don't think about that now."_

"Miss Miller?"

Elizabeth turned around, almost dropping the glass; a tall gruff looking man stood at the counter.

"Yes sir?" she knew who he was; who didn't? In the slums everyone talked about Giovanni Gallo, the former street rat who got taken in by the Leonelli's and was made the current Don's personal bodyguard. It was a mystery why he was picked, but one thing was sure, he was lucky. The biggest mystery now was what he wanted.

"We need a bartender for a business meeting. Come with me." he ordered gruffly and turned away without even waiting for her to answer.

"Yes sir." Elizabeth followed him and straightened up her uniform a bit; she had never been called on to serve the Vampire and his "guests". She assumed he hired more qualified people to do that or people who were sworn to secrecy to not blab about whatever they talked about in those meetings.

Giovanni had a hard expression and his sunglasses hid his eyes from sight. Elizabeth wanted to get a reading on him; he seemed a bit stiff, but maybe he was just on his guard.

" _Well duh. He is a bodyguard after all, he should be."_ Elizabeth thought as she followed the man into an elevator; they went all the way to the top floor, where only special guests were allowed; people with high social standing and a ton of cash.

Elizabeth fought back a wry smile. " _Or for mafia meetings. I hope I don't have to stay too long."_

Before she knew it they were standing in front of a large polished oak door; Giovanni opened it and entered first.

"I got her."

He gestured for Elizabeth to enter too; she did and inclined her head politely to the group.

"Good evening." she greeted with her most polite and professional manner.

When she raised her head she realized that there were only three other men there; two of them in suits stood behind a large chair where a young man slumped lazily.

"Miss Miller was it?" he asked nonchalantly. Elizabeth was at a loss of words; he couldn't have been older than 18.

"Hey, answer the Vampire when he asks you a question lady." Giovanni said; he stood behind her and Elizabeth heard a click.

He had locked the door.

"Yes sir." Elizabeth answered trying to keep her voice steady. _"Why did he lock it?"_

The Vampire smiled playfully. "You work in my casino as a bartender; you're from the slums of Judoh, and you've been working here for over half a year."

Elizabeth felt her mouth part in slight surprise, but closed it immediately.

"Is that right?"

He sounded so pleasantly casual, but Elizabeth sensed something was off; regardless, she remained calm.

"Yes sir."

"Yes sir? Is that all you can say?"

"No sir."

"You will address me as Vampire or Don Leonelli." he got up from his chair and strolled over to her slowly. "Understand?"

"Yes Vampire." Elizabeth could feel her knees knocking together slightly; he was circling her now and came to a stop right in front of her.

"I would address you as Miss Miller, but that's not your real name."

Elizabeth felt her blood turn cold.

"I don't understand sir-"

She staggered backward as she came face to face with the barrel of a small pistol.

"I told you not to address me as sir." Clair smiled; his voice was hushed and sinister.

"I-I'm sorry Vampire." she couldn't control the trembling now; she could practically feel the cold metal of the gun on her forehead. His finger was on the trigger and his hand was steady; it was clear he would have no problem killing her where she stood.

"Good girl. Now, back to the subject of your fake name. Ian, the papers." Clair called to the shortest man, who produced a folder of papers from his jacket.

"Certainly Vampire." Ian began to read the file out loud. "Elisa Gambino, age 19, daughter to Sven Gambino, cousin to Don Carlo Gambino; Sven was gunned down nine months prior by Gambino's men on suspicion of betrayal and two months later, his daughter went missing."

Clair smiled smugly at the wide-eyed Elizabeth. "You don't think I don't do background checks on my employees, do you? I have to be careful who I hire, and it looks like a rat has infiltrated the premises."

Giovanni walked over and stood behind Clair grimly; he didn't much care to kill women, but if this lady was a threat to Clair, then she would have to be taken out.

"What should we do with her Vampire? Kill her right here, or drive her out somewhere?"

"Please, don't." Elizabeth said weakly. "I'm not here to spy on the Leonelli family, I-"

"Do I look stupid!?"

Clair had hit her with the gun and she fell to the floor clutching her her head; she was shaking uncontrollably now, close to breaking down in sobs.

The Vampire was visibly unmoved; in fact, he seemed amused. He walked back over to Ian and Mitchal while Giovanni pulled out a gun and pointed at her limp form.

"You came here thinking you could spy on me and get some useful info to bring back to Don Gambino; no doubt he even put you up to this, perhaps threatened to shoot you down like a dog if you didn't. Just like your father."

Tears fell from Elisa's eyes.

" _Father…help me."_

But she knew she would have to help herself; there was no one else she could depend on, not anymore.

"It's true I used to be a member of the family." Elisa stood up on shaky legs and tried to look Clair straight in the eye. "I left and lived in the slums for some time before getting a job here. I didn't come here to spy on you; I ran away, simple as that."

Ian eyed her skeptically. "Do you really expect us to believe that story?"

"It's the truth, please!" she cried. "I didn't even know the Vampire owned this place until after I got the job! No one from the Gambino family knows I'm here. That's why I used a fake name, so they couldn't track me down."

Clair studied her with a mocking smile. "That's some coincidence, ending up working at a place owned by a rival family. Sorry, but I don't think I buy your little sob story." he sat back down in his chair and sighed tiredly. "Giovanni, it's getting late. Take her out, kill her, and dump the body. Maybe in front of the Gambino estate, just to send a message."

"Sure thing."

"NO!" The outburst was sharp and sudden and took them all by surprise. Elisa gathered herself; she walked closer to where Clair was seated and collapsed to her knees in front of him.

"Don Leonelli, please you have to believe me." Elisa kept her eyes cast down and tried to keep the tears at bay. "I ran away. They killed him. They killed my father like an animal." she spat out bitterly; he seemed to be listening or at least he hadn't interrupted yet. "I couldn't stay there any longer; I would have rather died in the streets than go back. I swear I came here for a job, and that's all."

Elisa raised her face to him and tried to look in his eyes; they were rumored to be the eyes of a wild beast. Up close, she could see it was true. He eyed her contemplatively, like a predator deciding whether to go in for the kill; he seemed calm, but the menacing smile stayed on his face. But at least he was still listening.

"If you want, I will leave here and never come back. I'll work somewhere else, you'll never see me again. Please, I ran away to escape, I don't want to hurt anyone. I couldn't live in a place where my father's murderers were alive and well, not caring that one of their own was six feet under because of a misunderstanding! I wanted to live my life in peace, I want nothing to do with my family!"

Tears rolled down Elisa's cheeks and she bit her lip slightly to keep from sobbing. Now wasn't the time.

"Please, believe me."

Clair stared at her for a moment before standing up and walking over to her.

Elisa's head dropped to her chest. " _This is it. This is how I die."_

"I can't say I do." Clair crouched down to her eye level and grabbed a fistful of her hair; he yanked it up so she would have to look at him. She whimpered but didn't dare fight back.

"Let's say I did believe you; even so, I can't allow you to leave. I don't know what kind of information you may have picked up. Just you knowing this location and how to get in this office is a bit of a risk."

 _"Of course...is this what I get for running away from my problems?"_ Elisa shut her eyes and shook. _"He would have no problem killing a coward."_

"Giovanni, escort Ms. Gambino to the bar downstairs. She will continue to work there."

Elisa stared at him dumbly.

Clair ignored her. "Make sure you have someone keep an eye on her while she's there. She needs to be under surveillance before I'm convinced." he let go of her hair and threw it back in her face before brushing it to the side carelessly.

"Ms. Gambino, if you continue to be a good girl and do your job, I'll consider your story." Clair yawned and slumped back down in his chair; Mitchal and Ian eyed him skeptically, but didn't dare voice their concerns, at least for the time being.

"Come on, let's go." Giovanni pulled her up only a bit roughly to her feet; she seemed unable to walk for a second.

"Vampire," Elisa turned around, eyes already beginning to sting with fresh tears of relief.

"What?" Clair asked impatiently.

"Thank you so much."

He simply waved her away. "Hurry up before I change my mind." he smiled again and it sent chills up Elisa's spine.

Before Giovanni could lead her out the door, she turned around suddenly.

"Please, Vampire, don't call me Ms. Gambino. I meant it when I said I wasn't a part of that family anymore. Call me anything but that." she looked at him pleadingly.

Clair burst into laughter and Elisa watched him worriedly. "That's what you're so concerned about?!" he was giggling gleefully at the revelation; she simply looked so pathetic, it was comical. Elisa had to resist the urge to frown angrily.

"Yes sir. I want to assure you I won't betray you, but that name is dead to me." her tone was polite but icy; Clair ceased laughing after a bit.

"Okay then. Elisa; weird name." he commented dismissively. "Does it mean anything?"

"Um, my father said it meant consecrated to God."

Clair chuckled once more. "Oh really? Doesn't seem like God is being much of a help."

Elisa fidgeted with her hands. "I'm not religious, but my father was. You could say my name is the only thing I have left of him." she shrugged her shoulders and avoided Clair's gaze.

"Elisa then. I'm not calling you by that fake name; you know, if there's one thing I can't stand, it's liars." Clair glared at her; there was no trace of his smile and Elisa wasn't sure which was scarier. But suddenly, he averted his gaze and waved her away. "Well, get out of here. Go on, I have business to see to."

" _Run along, foolish little daddy's girl."_ he thought bitterly as she scampered away to follow Giovanni back to the bar.

"Vampire?" Mitchal asked after a moment.

"I want you to tell two of my men to keep an eye on her, maybe have one stationed in the bar area." Clair added carelessly. "Ian, get me the rest of her file. I want you to find out where she lives and plant a camera in the entrance. We have to make sure her story holds true. We mustn't let our guard down, even if she seems like just a pathetic mouse."

"Right away boss." Mitchal said cheerfully and Ian followed after him with a respectful nod to Clair.

"You can count on us Vampire."

Clair was left alone to stare out his window; he walked over to it with a tired sigh and looked down on the city. The sky was pitch black and the city glowed; the lights of his own casino blazed and flashed, illuminating the people coming to and from the building. Groups of people, rich and poor alike, coming in to gamble and lose their money; they all had one thing in common, their greed.

" _How disgusting."_ Clair sneered; he went back to his chair and stretched. " _At least that girl doesn't seem to be anything to worry about. She's a naive idiot, probably never killed anyone; it's doubtful they'd use her as a spy."_

He yawned again and closed his eyes, ready to take a nap. " _I should've just killed her."_ Clair knewshe'd be easy to dispose of and he wouldn't have to waste time on monitoring her.

" _Thank you so much."_

Clair's eyes flew open and he found himself staring blankly at the ceiling.

No one had ever smiled at him like that before.


	2. II

Elisa was 12 the first time she saw a man die.

Her father had shot him from across their dining room table and the man had been sent toppling from his chair; Elisa had run to her room and cried for hours. Her father came up later and asked what was wrong.

"My violin teacher got hurt today; I hope he's okay." she sniffled and her father hugged her and gave her a present from his last business trip.

"You're so compassionate Elisa dear; don't worry, I'm sure Mr. Barcewicz will be just fine."

Elisa went with him later that day to get her teacher a get well card and flowers. She sometimes wondered whether her father knew the real reason she was so upset; maybe he did, but even so, she was glad he never brought it up. She didn't want it to be real and talking about it would shatter the illusion.

That day she was supposed to be at her afternoon violin lesson; Mr. Barcewicz's previous tutor session had gone sour when the boy he was teaching threw a violent fit and fractured his wrist. Elisa had only learned last minute and was happy for the extra free time. Her father was finally coming home and she didn't have to practice the dumb violin for once.

Elisa never found out why the man had to be killed. She had a vague idea by that time what "business" her father and uncles were in, but she never gave it that much thought. She didn't want to.

Her father was a man of God and the only regular time Elisa could see him was on Sundays; they would attend morning mass and then he would take her to her favorite restaurant. They'd spend the rest of the day together doing whatever she wanted and then he would have to leave again; while she was never religious, Elisa cherished Sundays.

Still, she thought it was funny how so many mafioso seemed to be religious; she chalked it up to their upbringing and how deep down they knew what was waiting for them after their inevitable death.

"Why am I even thinking about this stuff?" Elisa asked herself as she got ready for work; she had been thinking even more of her father lately.

Elisa sighed as she locked her apartment door; it still bothered her that there was so much she didn't know about her father. She could never bring herself to resent him, but the image of him as her caring and gentle parent was completely shattered that day.

"Morning Lizzie!" Connie greeted her as she walked behind the bar counter; Elisa smiled slightly and hung up her coat.

"Don't you hate how it's getting so cold out? It's bad enough it gets darker so soon, but I'm freezing my ass off whenever I go outside." Connie pouted as Elisa got to cleaning up the counter.

"Yeah, I see what you mean. We have late afternoon shifts anyway though."

"So?"

Elisa rolled her eyes. "So, by the time we go to work, it's going to be at least a little dark out anyway."

"Yeah, yeah." Connie grinned and spotted a couple of attractive men who just arrived at the counter. "Look at them Lizzie; I like blondes, so you can have the other guy." she quickly went over and began chatting up the customers with a coy grin.

Elisa smiled weakly. " _I'm sorry I have to lie to you Connie; it's for the best."_ It had been a long time since anyone had called her by her real name, but she couldn't risk it.

" _Well, I suppose not that long."_ Elisa thought as she sliced lemons. " _The Vampire sort of did."_

Not that she had heard from him for a few month, not since he had risen back to power; the only way she knew he was still keeping tabs on her was because of the men in suits and sunglasses who would come to the bar whenever she had her shift. Perhaps they didn't get the memo their boss was out of the picture for a bit, but they continued their surveillance dutifully.

It was a bit unnerving, but she couldn't blame him. Elisa knew the risk he was running by having her work there, but she knew there wasn't any real risk. If anything, she was more an ally to the Leonelli family then the Gambino at this point.

"Hey, you're needed upstairs."

Elisa looked up at Giovanni; he was still intimidating, but she couldn't help feel a bit partial to him. She trusted him, at least as much as she could trust someone she had only heard stories about.

"Yes sir." she followed him upstairs and spoke up after they were in a more secluded area.

"Why did the previous Don hire you for the Vampire's bodyguard?"

Giovanni turned to her somewhat surprised and then looked away; she thought he was going to ignore her until he spoke up after a few seconds.

"He said I had good, strong eyes."

Elisa peered at him curiously and hoped she wasn't overstepping herself. "What does that mean?"

"Hell if I know." Giovanni shrugged and they were suddenly at the door to Clair's office; Elisa held her breath and tried to keep her hands steady.

"Elisa, good evening. You look well." Clair's voice was cordial, but it did nothing to calm her nerves.

"Good evening Vampire."

He sat behind his desk and Elisa noticed an unoccupied seat on the other side; not that she'd dare sit down without invitation. He's surely think that was presumptuous and rude.

"Sit." Elisa sat down promptly; Clair snapped his fingers and Giovanni handed him a thick file of papers. "I've been going through some more of your history and it's come to my attention you were very close to your father." He looked at her expectantly.

"Yes Vampire, I was."

"Was?"

"I use past pretense since he's dead, Don Leonelli."

"Of course." Clair smiled. "On the subject of your father, it seems he had killed one of my men quite some time ago. Who performed the hit was unsolved, until we did some more digging. A witness claims that you were just outside the room when it happened, but you never said anything."

Elisa nodded stiffly. "That's true Vampire."

"I'm curious." Clair leaned forward in his seat with a playful grin. "How did it feel seeing that? Your dear father gunning down a man in cold blood?"

He took some satisfaction in the thought that this daddy's girl's idea of her perfect father were short lived; it was petty, but he never said he was a nice person.

"Not very good."

Clair seemed disappointed with the lack of emotion in her voice. "The witness was a servant; they told me you weren't actually supposed to be home."

Elisa nodded once more, puzzled as to why the Don was interested in her account; he obviously had enough evidence to be able to say Sven Gambino killed one of his men.

"I was supposed to be at my violin lesson."

"Oh? Why weren't you there?"

"My teacher had a previous appointment with another student; the boy nearly broke his wrist in frustration. He wasn't able to teach me for some time, but another tutored was hired soon after."

"Was your teacher Emile Barcewicz?"

"Um, yes."

Clair laughed wildly; through chuckles he was able to gasp out that he was the man's student.

Elisa stared at him. "Oh, I see…"

"So," Clair settled down, still smiling widely. "You came home and-?"

Elisa breathed in and out slowly. "I went into the dining room just in time to see my father shoot that man in the head."

"That's it?"

Elisa nodded and stared down at her hands.

"Well, if that's all, you can leave."

"Were you hoping for something more dramatic?" Elisa had a hard time keeping the condescension out of her voice, and Clair was quick to notice.

"Maybe you don't care your daddy's a murderer? You already knew about it right? You seem like a good girl, I'm surprised you didn't run away sooner."

"I'm not really." Elisa said tonelessly. "I still love him, even knowing the horrible things he was involved in. What kind of person does that make me?" She smiled grimly to herself.

"Loyal." he said almost to himself.

"Thank you."

"You're free to go."

Elisa got up slowly. "Vampire, do you have to have cameras in my apartment?"

"You found those?" Giovanni asked nearly knocking into the door.

"I was raised by a crime family; I was bound to pick up a thing or two." Elisa said with a tight smile. Clair gazed at her appreciatively.

"And here I thought you only knew how to play the violin; didn't care much for it myself."

Elisa's laugh was warm, but somewhat timid in it's amusement; Clair's smile dropped from his face and he sat down with a slouch.

"You're pretty funny." she said with a smile. " _It's been some time since I've laughed."_

"The camera's stay until I feel you're completely trustworthy. Giovanni, see her out."

"Good evening Don Leonelli."

"...Good evening Elisa."

Elisa left the room feeling oddly at ease.

When she was out the door, Clair let out a breath he didn't know he was holding in.


	3. III

"Why do you want to be a bartender anyway?"

Elisa paused while pouring Clair's drink; recently, she had been appointed his personal bartender, which was really just a nice way to say, "didn't have a choice". She understood he needed to keep an eye on her, but she sort of missed her coworkers and she felt cooped up in the dim office.

The only upside is that she got to talk to him. Elisa found the Vampire quite different than what she expected, though she still took great care in what she said and how she said it. He just didn't seem all there, and some days he seemed on the brink of having a mental breakdown or something.

" _I'd better be careful how much alcohol I give him."_ Elisa heard Clair tap his fingers on his desk and realized she had been spacing out; he glared at her with barely veiled impatience.

"I didn't really; I mean, it's okay, I just saw the position was open and I needed the money." Elisa shrugged sheepishly; Clair looked at her curiously.

"Where did you even learn to make drinks?"

"My older cousin taught me how; he was actually a bartender. You see, most of the women in my family knew how to cook; they sort of needed to when all the men came over for, uh, "business meetings" last minute." she smiled wryly at the memory of one of her uncles coming in for dinner wiping blood off his new suit. "I never learned much, but my cousin insisted I learn to make drinks."

Clair sipped at his drink and nodded his approval. "Why didn't you learn how to cook?"

"I just never got around to it; my dad wasn't the best cook, and I didn't see enough of my aunts for them to teach me." Elisa hoped he would drop the subject, but no such luck.

"What about your mother?"

Elisa paused; she didn't want to look even more pathetic than Clair probably assumed she was. "My mother died when I was born." he studied her, but made no comment.

"So," Clair continued after downing the liquor; he held out the glass for her to refill. "Did you ever see yourself working behind a counter when you were all grown up?" he smiled patronizingly, but she could tell he was genuinely curious.

"No, I was studying to be a nurse until…" Elisa paused and backtracked. "Well, when I ran off, I quit school, so I never finished my degree." she finished somewhat embarrassed.

Clair raised an eyebrow. "I assume because you couldn't pay tuition."

Elisa shook her head and handed him the drink, trying not to touch his fingers. "I got a scholarship, but if I continued going, my family would find me there easily. I didn't want to take any chances of them turning up." she shrugged her shoulders with a what-can-you-do expression. "I was just a semester away from graduating." She looked down a bit sadly, but smiled when she caught his gaze.

"I don't mind though; I need to lie low for now, but maybe I can go back to school someday." Elisa's grin grew wider. "Heck, maybe I'll just stick to being a bartender!"

"That's stupid. If you have the intelligence to put yourself through school and get a decent education, you shouldn't waste it."

Elisa was taken aback at the seriousness of his statement; she didn't know he was so adamant about education. "Did you go to school Don Leonelli?"

Clair shook his head and took a larger gulp of scotch; he swirled the ice in his cup and looked almost wistful. "I already knew what I was going to be when I grew up; I was raised for this role, it's who I am." he paused and smirked bitterly. "Not that I had much choice."

Elisa was unsure what to say; she had never once thought about whether Clair had wanted to be the Vampire. It seemed like he did, but she knew what it was like growing up in a crime family. Chances are, he never knew anything else.

"I'm sorry." she said gently.

"Sorry? I don't need pity, not from a cowardly run-away."

Clair downed his whole drink and faced away from Elisa, slamming his glass on the table; she stood there uncomfortable, but didn't feel angry. It was clear he was lashing out at her; besides, she supposed it was none of her business in the first place. No doubt he didn't want to hear the opinions of someone he barely knew.

Elisa tried to back off before he could really get pissed. "I can go if you're done; Vampire, would you like me to call Giovanni?"

"Why? Do you want to leave?"

Elisa was taken aback at his accusing tone. "N-no, I thought maybe you were finished, and you wanted to be alone."

Clair slumped down a bit in his chair. "Well, you were wrong."

"Sorry."

"Try not to be so presumptuous; you don't know me or what I want. What's more, you work for me. Don't forget that."

"Yes Vampire…."

Clair straightened up and smiled once more. "I have a surprise for you."

"For me?"

"Didn't I just say that? Well, close your eyes and don't open them until I say so."

Elisa was nervous, but she closed her eyes; no matter what the surprise was, there was no way she'd refuse to go along with it.

"Yes Vampire…."

Clair laughed giddily. "Don't sound so scared; Giovanni, you can bring him in now."

Elisa heard the heavy oak doors open and a muffled grunt; she was feeling more on edge and wished she could just leave. _"What could it possibly be? Is someone else here?"_

"You can look now Elisa!"

There was an older man, bound and gagged on the floor; he was laying on his side, his face swollen. Elisa could see some blood staining his white shirt. His small, dark eyes were looking around the room with frantically.

"Vampire, why-who is he?" Elisa had a hard time looking at the stranger; why in the world would Clair think she'd enjoy this?

Clair's eyes were dilated and he smiled at her with an untamed glee. "This is Ryuga Ishigami; he was the man who's been embezzling funds from Vita." he couldn't help a malicious giggle. "He's also the man who blackmailed Sven Gambino into betraying his family."

He seemed to be expecting something, but Elisa had no idea what. She could only stare blankly at the man who laid on the cold floor; he looked terrified as his line of sight switched back and forth between her and Clair.

"Here's your chance Elisa." Clair turned to her and pulled out a small pistol from his back pocket; he pressed it eagerly into her trembling hands. "He's the reason you're stuck here, the reason you had to leave your whole life behind."

He held onto her hands and the gun with care; he grinned even wider as she stared at him stunned. "He's the reason your father is dead; he's certified scum, the lowest kind of person. The world would be better off without him."

Ishigami thrashed on the floor, his yells muffled by the cloth that was shoved into his mouth; his struggling must've reopened a wound, because Elisa could see the blood stain grow larger.

Clair ignored him and stood behind Elisa; his tone was unsteady, and growing louder the longer he talked. "He deserves to be killed by you; a fitting death really. Go ahead Elisa, I'll make sure no one else finds out."

"Thank you, but I can't do that Vampire."

Elisa took the bullets out from the pistol with a practiced hand; she tossed the gun to Giovanni and threw the bullets onto Ishigami's shaking body with a small bitter smile.

"I know my father, whatever he did in his life, would never want me to be a murderer. It's not what I want either; that's one of the reasons I ran off in the first place."

Clair's smirk dropped from his face and his expression was cold. After what felt like a year, he smiled. "If that's what you want."

He went over to his desk and opened the first drawer; he pulled out another small gun and pointed it directly at Ishigami's head.

Elisa screamed at the sound of the gunshot; blood splattered on the floor and she fell to her knees.

"Giovanni, take care of this mess." Clair said as he put the gun back in the desk drawer. Giovanni made a phone call and in less than three minutes a group of men came in and cleaned off the blood; they took away the body in a stretcher and covered it with plastic. No one made any indication that they even noticed Elisa still crying in silence on her knees.

Clair approached her and pulled her up by her arms; she rose staring blankly at his face, tears still in her eyes.

"Why?"

"I thought you'd like to be able to take some action after everything that's happened; we were going to get rid of him anyway after all the shit he's been pulling, but I thought you might like a chance." he frowned at her as if her question was ridiculous.

"Aren't you happy he's gone? If I hadn't killed him, he may have gone after you now that he knew who you were. You could show a little more gratitude. I didn't have to bring him up here and make a mess in my office."

Elisa back away from him. "You're insane. I'm out of here."

Clair's gaze hardened. "What?"

"I'm not safe here." Elisa looked frantic. "You say you're keeping me here to make sure I'm not going to be a liability, but what about you? What's to stop you from just killing me?"

She turned away and walked quickly to the door. "Either way, I'm screwed. Have a nice life Don Leonelli."

"So that's it? You don't trust me?"

Elisa turned back to him with a humorless laugh. "What?"

Clair walked over to her with an oddly vacant stare. "Maybe you're scared of me? Have I ever done anything to harm you? Haven't I've been kind to you?" he pulled out a small vial from his shirt pocket; it was a dark red.

"What is that?" Elisa eyed it warily. " _Poison? Is he going to make me drink it?"_

Clair ignored her and quickly went over to his cabinet; he pulled out a somewhat dusty wine bottle and a small cup; he poured red wine into it and then unscrewed the tiny vial. He carefully poured it's contents into the wine and brought it back to Elisa.

"Here." Clair handed it to Elisa; she took it hesitantly. "It's my blood."

At her disgusted expression, Clair felt inclined to explain. "They call my title Vampire due to our ritual of using blood in initiation rites and to make oaths. If you drink this, you'll become mine; it's a pact that can't be broken"

Elisa stared at him apprehensively. " _Yours?" s_ he was expecting him to burst out laughing at a joke, but he seemed completely serious.

"By drinking my blood, you become part of the Leonelli family; you will officially be under my protection. This is an honor, and this way, even if the Gambino family finds you, they can't harm you. I'll make sure of it."

Elisa looked down at the cup undecided. It seemed that she was leaving one family just to join another.

"I don't want to be part of the crime syndicate; I just want a normal life."

Clair burst out into laughter at this. "Normal? You were born into a world of bloodshed and betrayal. That's something you can't just shake off."

"What if you could?"

"This is my life. I intend to make the best of it." Clair shrugged. "Sticking with me is your best bet at this point. What will you choose?" His eyes bore into hers, as if willing her to drink.

Elisa stared back determinedly and downed the cup in one gulp.

"Just don't expect me to kill anyone for you."

"You will finish your last semester of school; after that, you're going to be my certified nurse. No killing necessary. You can still make me drinks though." his smile was was almost pleasant.

Elisa smiled back timidly. "Does this mean i can call you Clair?"

At his silence, she started to panic a bit. "I was just joking, I mean, since we're family now, you know….?" Elisa fidgeted with her hair awkwardly.

"Go ahead."

"Really?"

"I don't see why you'd want to, but if it makes you happy, whatever." Clair shrugged and sat down at his desk. "I'm going to take a nap; go back downstairs, we can talk about your new arrangements tomorrow."

"It does."

"Hm? What?"

"It does make me happy, really." Elisa smiled; she hadn't felt this safe in a while. As crazy as Clair was, she could tell he was glad she accepted the pact. It was oddly touching.

"Good for you." Clair closed his eyes and waved her away lazily; she waved goodbye and took her leave so he could sleep.

He fell into a weightless and peaceful slumber, her image dancing behind his closed eyes.


	4. IV

"Why do you want to be a bartender anyway?"

Elisa paused while pouring Clair's drink; recently, she had been appointed his personal bartender, which was really just a nice way to say, "didn't have a choice". She understood he needed to keep an eye on her, but she sort of missed her coworkers and she felt cooped up in the dim office.

The only upside is that she got to talk to him. Elisa found the Vampire quite different than what she expected, though she still took great care in what she said and how she said it. He just didn't seem all there, and some days he seemed on the brink of having a mental breakdown or something.

" _I'd better be careful how much alcohol I give him."_ Elisa heard Clair tap his fingers on his desk and realized she had been spacing out; he glared at her with barely veiled impatience.

"I didn't really; I mean, it's okay, I just saw the position was open and I needed the money." Elisa shrugged sheepishly; Clair looked at her curiously.

"Where did you even learn to make drinks?"

"My older cousin taught me how; he was actually a bartender. You see, most of the women in my family knew how to cook; they sort of needed to when all the men came over for, uh, "business meetings" last minute." she smiled wryly at the memory of one of her uncles coming in for dinner wiping blood off his new suit. "I never learned much, but my cousin insisted I learn to make drinks."

Clair sipped at his drink and nodded his approval. "Why didn't you learn how to cook?"

"I just never got around to it; my dad wasn't the best cook, and I didn't see enough of my aunts for them to teach me." Elisa hoped he would drop the subject, but no such luck.

"What about your mother?"

Elisa paused; she didn't want to look even more pathetic than Clair probably assumed she was. "My mother died when I was born." he studied her, but made no comment.

"So," Clair continued after downing the liquor; he held out the glass for her to refill. "Did you ever see yourself working behind a counter when you were all grown up?" he smiled patronizingly, but she could tell he was genuinely curious.

"No, I was studying to be a nurse until…" Elisa paused and backtracked. "Well, when I ran off, I quit school, so I never finished my degree." she finished somewhat embarrassed.

Clair raised an eyebrow. "I assume because you couldn't pay tuition."

Elisa shook her head and handed him the drink, trying not to touch his fingers. "I got a scholarship, but if I continued going, my family would find me there easily. I didn't want to take any chances of them turning up." she shrugged her shoulders with a what-can-you-do expression. "I was just a semester away from graduating." She looked down a bit sadly, but smiled when she caught his gaze.

"I don't mind though; I need to lie low for now, but maybe I can go back to school someday." Elisa's grin grew wider. "Heck, maybe I'll just stick to being a bartender!"

"That's stupid. If you have the intelligence to put yourself through school and get a decent education, you shouldn't waste it."

Elisa was taken aback at the seriousness of his statement; she didn't know he was so adamant about education. "Did you go to school Don Leonelli?"

Clair shook his head and took a larger gulp of scotch; he swirled the ice in his cup and looked almost wistful. "I already knew what I was going to be when I grew up; I was raised for this role, it's who I am." he paused and smirked bitterly. "Not that I had much choice."

Elisa was unsure what to say; she had never once thought about whether Clair had wanted to be the Vampire. It seemed like he did, but she knew what it was like growing up in a crime family. Chances are, he never knew anything else.

"I'm sorry." she said gently.

"Sorry? I don't need pity, not from a cowardly run-away."

Clair downed his whole drink and faced away from Elisa, slamming his glass on the table; she stood there uncomfortable, but didn't feel angry. It was clear he was lashing out at her; besides, she supposed it was none of her business in the first place. No doubt he didn't want to hear the opinions of someone he barely knew.

Elisa tried to back off before he could really get pissed. "I can go if you're done; Vampire, would you like me to call Giovanni?"

"Why? Do you want to leave?"

Elisa was taken aback at his accusing tone. "N-no, I thought maybe you were finished, and you wanted to be alone."

Clair slumped down a bit in his chair. "Well, you were wrong."

"Sorry."

"Try not to be so presumptuous; you don't know me or what I want. What's more, you work for me. Don't forget that."

"Yes Vampire…."

Clair straightened up and smiled once more. "I have a surprise for you."

"For me?"

"Didn't I just say that? Well, close your eyes and don't open them until I say so."

Elisa was nervous, but she closed her eyes; no matter what the surprise was, there was no way she'd refuse to go along with it.

"Yes Vampire…."

Clair laughed giddily. "Don't sound so scared; Giovanni, you can bring him in now."

Elisa heard the heavy oak doors open and a muffled grunt; she was feeling more on edge and wished she could just leave. _"What could it possibly be? Is someone else here?"_

"You can look now Elisa!"

There was an older man, bound and gagged on the floor; he was laying on his side, his face swollen. Elisa could see some blood staining his white shirt. His small, dark eyes were looking around the room with frantically.

"Vampire, why-who is he?" Elisa had a hard time looking at the stranger; why in the world would Clair think she'd enjoy this?

Clair's eyes were dilated and he smiled at her with an untamed glee. "This is Ryuga Ishigami; he was the man who's been embezzling funds from Vita." he couldn't help a malicious giggle. "He's also the man who blackmailed Sven Gambino into betraying his family."

He seemed to be expecting something, but Elisa had no idea what. She could only stare blankly at the man who laid on the cold floor; he looked terrified as his line of sight switched back and forth between her and Clair.

"Here's your chance Elisa." Clair turned to her and pulled out a small pistol from his back pocket; he pressed it eagerly into her trembling hands. "He's the reason you're stuck here, the reason you had to leave your whole life behind."

He held onto her hands and the gun with care; he grinned even wider as she stared at him stunned. "He's the reason your father is dead; he's certified scum, the lowest kind of person. The world would be better off without him."

Ishigami thrashed on the floor, his yells muffled by the cloth that was shoved into his mouth; his struggling must've reopened a wound, because Elisa could see the blood stain grow larger.

Clair ignored him and stood behind Elisa; his tone was unsteady, and growing louder the longer he talked. "He deserves to be killed by you; a fitting death really. Go ahead Elisa, I'll make sure no one else finds out."

"Thank you, but I can't do that Vampire."

Elisa took the bullets out from the pistol with a practiced hand; she tossed the gun to Giovanni and threw the bullets onto Ishigami's shaking body with a small bitter smile.

"I know my father, whatever he did in his life, would never want me to be a murderer. It's not what I want either; that's one of the reasons I ran off in the first place."

Clair's smirk dropped from his face and his expression was cold. After what felt like a year, he smiled. "If that's what you want."

He went over to his desk and opened the first drawer; he pulled out another small gun and pointed it directly at Ishigami's head.

Elisa screamed at the sound of the gunshot; blood splattered on the floor and she fell to her knees.

"Giovanni, take care of this mess." Clair said as he put the gun back in the desk drawer. Giovanni made a phone call and in less than three minutes a group of men came in and cleaned off the blood; they took away the body in a stretcher and covered it with plastic. No one made any indication that they even noticed Elisa still crying in silence on her knees.

Clair approached her and pulled her up by her arms; she rose staring blankly at his face, tears still in her eyes.

"Why?"

"I thought you'd like to be able to take some action after everything that's happened; we were going to get rid of him anyway after all the shit he's been pulling, but I thought you might like a chance." he frowned at her as if her question was ridiculous.

"Aren't you happy he's gone? If I hadn't killed him, he may have gone after you now that he knew who you were. You could show a little more gratitude. I didn't have to bring him up here and make a mess in my office."

Elisa back away from him. "You're insane. I'm out of here."

Clair's gaze hardened. "What?"

"I'm not safe here." Elisa looked frantic. "You say you're keeping me here to make sure I'm not going to be a liability, but what about you? What's to stop you from just killing me?"

She turned away and walked quickly to the door. "Either way, I'm screwed. Have a nice life Don Leonelli."

"So that's it? You don't trust me?"

Elisa turned back to him with a humorless laugh. "What?"

Clair walked over to her with an oddly vacant stare. "Maybe you're scared of me? Have I ever done anything to harm you? Haven't I've been kind to you?" he pulled out a small vial from his shirt pocket; it was a dark red.

"What is that?" Elisa eyed it warily. " _Poison? Is he going to make me drink it?"_

Clair ignored her and quickly went over to his cabinet; he pulled out a somewhat dusty wine bottle and a small cup; he poured red wine into it and then unscrewed the tiny vial. He carefully poured it's contents into the wine and brought it back to Elisa.

"Here." Clair handed it to Elisa; she took it hesitantly. "It's my blood."

At her disgusted expression, Clair felt inclined to explain. "They call my title Vampire due to our ritual of using blood in initiation rites and to make oaths. If you drink this, you'll become mine; it's a pact that can't be broken"

Elisa stared at him apprehensively. " _Yours?" s_ he was expecting him to burst out laughing at a joke, but he seemed completely serious.

"By drinking my blood, you become part of the Leonelli family; you will officially be under my protection. This is an honor, and this way, even if the Gambino family finds you, they can't harm you. I'll make sure of it."

Elisa looked down at the cup undecided. It seemed that she was leaving one family just to join another.

"I don't want to be part of the crime syndicate; I just want a normal life."

Clair burst out into laughter at this. "Normal? You were born into a world of bloodshed and betrayal. That's something you can't just shake off."

"What if you could?"

"This is my life. I intend to make the best of it." Clair shrugged. "Sticking with me is your best bet at this point. What will you choose?" His eyes bore into hers, as if willing her to drink.

Elisa stared back determinedly and downed the cup in one gulp.

"Just don't expect me to kill anyone for you."

"You will finish your last semester of school; after that, you're going to be my certified nurse. No killing necessary. You can still make me drinks though." his smile was was almost pleasant.

Elisa smiled back timidly. "Does this mean i can call you Clair?"

At his silence, she started to panic a bit. "I was just joking, I mean, since we're family now, you know….?" Elisa fidgeted with her hair awkwardly.

"Go ahead."

"Really?"

"I don't see why you'd want to, but if it makes you happy, whatever." Clair shrugged and sat down at his desk. "I'm going to take a nap; go back downstairs, we can talk about your new arrangements tomorrow."

"It does."

"Hm? What?"

"It does make me happy, really." Elisa smiled; she hadn't felt this safe in a while. As crazy as Clair was, she could tell he was glad she accepted the pact. It was oddly touching.

"Good for you." Clair closed his eyes and waved her away lazily; she waved goodbye and took her leave so he could sleep.

He fell into a weightless and peaceful slumber, her image dancing behind his closed eyes.


	5. V

Contrary to popular belief, a slap could be as painful as a punch.

When her Uncle Bruno had slapped her, Elisa had been knocked down by the sheer force of it; her cheek stung, and she was sure it would be a bright red.

"That's what you get for betraying us." Bruno spat.

Elisa glared up at him. "I'm not the one who killed a their own brother. I left, I didn't hurt anyone or say anything."

"Your father knew how things worked around here." her uncle said coldly. "You know better too." he pulled her up by her bound arms and shoved her back into a chair. "I thought he taught you better than to sass your elders."

Elisa let out a bitter chuckle. "You expect me to show you any respect?"

Bruno shook his head almost sadly. "We had high hopes for you ya know? You had the brains, spunk, a good head on your shoulders. You could've really made something of yourself, but you joined up with the Leonelli's."

"I'm already making something of myself. I never wanted to be in the business, so just get that out of your head right now." Elisa said firmly. "And I didn't join up with the Leonelli's. I was looking for work in their casino, and the Vampire has me under surveillance when he found out who I was. I don't want anything to do with any crime syndicate."

"Oh yeah?" Bruno challenged. "Then why is he protecting you? Word is, you made a blood pact."

Elisa narrowed her eyes. "I only did that to help him trust me. I'm his nurse, not a hitman or an informant or anything."

Bruno let out a derisive laugh. "Either way it doesn't really matter. Right now, you're our bait." He walked over to another chair and sat down as he lit a cigar. "Family ties aren't an issue. But I guess you already knew that."

As Elisa was heading home after classes, she had been forced into one of the Gambino's cars; she was knocked out and taken to one of their hideouts.

Elisa knew she wouldn't be welcomed by her family, but to use her as a bargaining chip? Even she wasn't expecting them to sink so low.

 _"I figured they'd find me at some point."_ Elisa thought bitterly as Bruno went over to give the other men instructions. _"I didn't think they'd do this. What makes them think Clair is even going to come?"_

An hour ago, her uncle and some of Gambino's men had sent a message to Clair: if he doesn't give up his territory in the west side, than Elisa would pay for his refusal.

 _"I'm the nurse though."_ Elisa sighed lightly. _"No wonder the Leonelli's don't take these guys very seriously if they're not even going to get better leverage for their demands."_

Her mind was racing. _"I can't give up. Should I try to convince them I'm on their side? No, they wouldn't believe it after everything I just said. I could beg for my life? I think I'd rather die."_

Another hour passed, and Elisa couldn't see anyway out of it. Her uncle and the men were getting antsy and impatient. They had placed a deadline for the Vampire to show up, but they hadn't even heard from him since they sent the ransom message.

"Looks like the Don's a no show Bruno." One of the men said, polishing his sunglasses on his shirt. "What should we do?"

Bruno sighed tiredly. "This is gonna be a bitch to explain to Don Gambino. Let's pack up and get out of here."

"And your niece?"

"Kill her. We don't need her anymore."

The man with the sunglasses approached Elisa, a loaded pistol in his right hand; she could see the gun's barrel glint in the warehouses dim lights.

 _"I'm going to die….just like father…."_

Elisa stared into the man's eyes, not out of bravery, but out of defiance and disdain.

She wanted him to be haunted by what he was about to do.

She never wanted him to forget the life he had taken in cold blood. She hoped he would be as tormented as she had been since she witnessed her only family gunned down in front of her.

The man raised the pistol and put it between her eyes; she shivered but her glare hardened.

"Miss Elisa," the man said quietly. "Sorry about this."

Before Elisa could retort, he had pushed her down to the floor, still bound to the chair.

 **"Now!"**

The sound of gunfire rang out through the building; Elisa shut her eyes tightly and wished she could cover her ears.

The man was above her, almost like he was shielding her; he too was taking shots, but at who, Elisa couldn't see.

It was only two minutes before everything fell silent.

Elisa listened carefully before slowly opening her eyes; the room was somewhat smokey.

"Sorry for keeping you waiting Elisa." Clair, Giovanni, and at least 30 of the Leonelli's men were walking toward her. "I was waiting for the green light from Dino."

Elisa stared as the man she assumed was Dino began to cut the ropes securing her to their chair; her arm was bruised and cut, but she didn't have any major injuries.

"Sorry Miss Elisa." he apologized. "I didn't mean to knock you down like that, but I couldn't have you getting shot."

Elisa was staring back and forth between him and Clair.

"Wait, what's going on? Who are you?" she asked Dino.

He smiled sheepishly. "You're not the only one who has a problem with the way the Gambino's operate."

"He's a sort of double agent for the Leonelli syndicate." Clair explained as he helped Elisa up. "How do you think I was able to get so much info on you and the Gambino's in the first place?"

Elisa turned to Dino. "But now your cover is blown! They'll be out for your blood too."

Dino shrugged. "Well, the Don won't know, considering everyone else here is dead."

Elisa looked around her for the first time; the small group of men were all lying on the ground, each with a considerable amount of bullet wounds. Her uncle was slumped against the wall with blood trailing down his forehead. As much as she resented them, Elisa felt a twinge of disgust and sadness for the people she used to call family.

"If only I could've used my fireworks." Clair said wistfully. "Of course, that would defeat the purpose of coming to your rescue."

Elisa turned her face away from him quickly.

"Elisa?" Clair asked. Elisa turned her back on him without a word.

"Look at me when I speak to you!" Clair yanked her towards him.

Throughout the whole ordeal, Elisa hadn't shed a tear. Now her eyes were flooded with them and she bit back a loud sob.

Clair's hand dropped to his side and he stared at her in surprise.

"Why are you crying? Don't tell me you feel sorry for these assholes?!" he demanded to know.

Elisa looked down in shame. "I...I didn't think you would come."

"Well, you thought wrong, didn't you daddy's girl?"

Clair smiled and smacked her upside the head lightly; Elisa stared at him in shock before she smiled.

"Yeah, guess I did."

"It's late. Let's go home." Clair began dragging Elisa out of the warehouse and into the waiting car. She sat down next to him and began dozing off as the car sped toward the casino.

"Wait." Elisa said suddenly. "You're not dropping me off at my place?"

"We're going to keep an eye on you, so you'll be staying with me for a few days, just to be on the safe side."

Clair brushed back her hair gently. "I almost lost you tonight. I'm not taking any chances."

Elisa stared at him for a few moments before settling back down; she scooted over and smiled up at Clair.

"Thank you."

Clair said nothing, but moved her head to lean on his shoulder.

"Get some sleep, okay?"

"Clair?"

"Hm?"

Elisa leaned closer to him. "I'm sorry for not having faith in you. I thought you'd just let me die. I was wrong about you."

Clair chuckled. "Don't overestimate me. If it was anyone else, I probably would have let them die. I'm not much better than your old family."

"That's not true." Elisa whispered shyly. "Maybe you can't see it yet, but you're much better than you think you are. I'll make sure you can see it too someday."

"You little fool." Clair put his arm around her shoulders protectively.

He stared out the window as Elisa drifted off to sleep; he smiled as he looked down at her face.

 _"But I suppose she's my fool now."_


	6. VI

"Thank you for inviting me into your home Miss Elisa." Dino inclined his head politely as he crossed the threshold of Elisa's modest apartment.

"You don't have to be so formal. It's not like I'm part of a family or anything. I'm just Elizabeth Miller now." Elisa laughed slightly.

"You'll have to forgive me; I've always respected your old man you know." Dino sat down on the couch next to Elisa; she looked at him curiously as he settled back with a sigh. "You're his daughter, as far as I'm concerned, you and him are the only people who've ever been worthy of my respect."

Elisa stared down at her hands silently; she wasn't sure what to say.

"That seems like a long time ago…" she began slowly.

"Can I still call you Miss Elisa?"

"Sure." Elisa smiled a bit.

Dino slouched and gave her a look of concern. "How's your arm?"

"Oh, it's fine now." Elisa assured him; Dino nodded.

"Sorry about that. Miss Elisa, there's something else I need to ask your forgiveness for." Dino said quietly; the clock that hung on the wall ticked on ominously. Elisa could feel a cold tension creep over her at Dino's lost look.

"What is it?"

"I was there...the day Sven was killed." Dino couldn't bring himself to look at what he was sure was Elisa's expression of betrayal. He didn't blame her; perhaps she'd even hate him, hate that a person like him saved her. "I joined the Leonelli's because of that. Sven was a good man; he was moral, never would've betrayed anyone, you know? He wasn't bound to last long in that kind of life."

Dino grimaced at Elisa's pained eyes. "Shit. I'm sorry, but you get what I'm saying. That's why I left. I lost any respect I had for the Gambino's. Except you."

Elisa wasn't looking at him.

"I should've stopped them; but then word got out you were with the Leonelli's. I nearly got my brains blown out when I first approached the Vampire." Dino smiled darkly. "I promised them I just wanted to make it up to you, and do right by your old man. He was a lot keener on listening after I mentioned that."

"Thank you Dino. I'm in your debt." Elisa said softly. "It's not your fault. If you had done something, they would've just killed you right then and I might not be alive now."

Dino felt himself relieved at her kind smile and let out a bark of laughter. "Damn. You're definitely your father's daughter."

Elisa blinked before giving him a sad smile. "Is that good? Or maybe it's bad…"

"Miss Elisa?"

"You know, my father would always tell me, 'Elisa, a lady must have strength, an open heart, and patience.' I didn't see him much, but he always made it a point to pass on morals to me, morals he didn't follow himself." Elisa explained. "Still, I think he wanted to."

"Everyone would say your father had skills, but was weak hearted." Dino recalled with a bitter expression. "But that wasn't it. He just had standards; he never was cut out to be a gangster."

"I guess so." Elisa replied simply. "But in the end, I think there wasn't much else for him. The crime syndicate is all he ever knew, and the same goes for Clair. Father didn't want me to be trapped too. I guess in the end, I can't bring myself to hate you or him."

"You shouldn't feel guilty for still loving Sven. People aren't as simple as good or bad; you just have to make your way as best as you can sometimes. Believe me, I know." Dino patted Elisa's head playfully. "Whatever he was, he was a good father and he loved you. Don't ever think otherwise, okay?"

"Right." Elisa nodded; this was the happiest she had felt in a long time; Dino stood up and made his way to the door, Elisa behind him with a concerned gaze. "What about you? What do you want Dino?"

"Not sure." Dino shrugged as he stepped outside. "I'm not nearly as nice as you or your old man. This is the life I've chosen, so don't go feeling bad for me." he added seeing Elisa's somewhat pitying stare. "Besides, this way, I can keep an eye on you."

"I appreciate that." Elisa thanked him with a sad smile. "Please, take care of yourself."

"I'm going to be busy for a while proving my worth to the Leonelli's." Dino said with a grim smile; it brightened at her look of worry. "But I'll check up on you sometime, alright?" Dino took her firmly by the shoulders. "Be careful around the Don. I'll admit, he seems more stable than what I've heard, but he's still the Vampire. You need to look out for yourself too."

Elisa smiled as he kissed her forehead chastely. "Then you better do the same. I may be one of the Leonelli's men now, but my first priority is to you. Good night Miss Elisa."

The sun was just setting by the time Elisa reached the casino. She made her way to Clair's office feeling more hopeful than she had in years.

 _"I hope Dino will be okay though."_ Elisa thought as she opened the office doors. _"He saved me. I owe him and Clair my life…"_

For some reason this thought didn't cause her any sadness or fear; on the contrary, the idea filled her with a sense of purpose.

"You're late." Clair was leaning back in his chair, a glass of liquor in his hand and a half empty bottle was placed on his desk. Elisa was thrown off by the coldness of his tone.

"I'm sorry." she said in a subdued voice. _"Is he drunk? He looks…"_

"Are you?" Clair laughed bitterly. "Well, now that you're here I have a few questions for you."

Elisa set down her bag with a confused expression; did she miss something? Just the other day he was being so kind.

"Clair, what's going on?" Elisa inquired calmly despite the apprehension she felt at his disdainful glare.

"What was he doing in your apartment?"


	7. VII

Clair admittedly didn't suspect Elisa of being in allegiance with the Gambino family anymore, but he never got around to taking away the camera secretly installed to view her apartment entrance. Besides, there was something he couldn't help find amusing about seeing her leave the apartment everyday; at this point, Clair could predict her usual times of departure and reappearance.

Today it had brought him nothing but a burning rage; Elisa could see it clearly and it made a shiver run down her spine.

"I thought you had taken out those cameras…" Elisa whispered; she flinched as Clair abruptly stood up, stomping over to her after slamming his glass on the desk.

"What was he doing in your apartment?" Clair asked lowly. "Answer me!"

"Dino apologized for hurting my arm." Elisa back up against the wall; he had her in a corner. She wasn't particularly weak physically, but she didn't dare try to run out of fear of his unpredictability. Clair's gaze had her floored. "We were just talking about-"

"You were doing a lot more than talking from the look of it!" Clair laughed cruelly as he stepped forward; he slammed Elisa into the wall, holding her arms with an iron grip. "How dare you?"

"W-what…?"

Elisa eyes widened as Clair slowly leaned in; his lips collided with hers painfully. She could feel the cold metal of his piercing against her mouth, his tongue clumsily trying to coax her's to participate; he tasted like the liquor. Elisa managed to turn her face away.

"Clair, please stop!" Elisa struggled to free her arms, her wrists bruising in his hands. Clair didn't even seem to hear her, he was too busy smothering her neck in sloppy wet kisses; his hands gently began stroking up her arms, giving Elisa the opening she needed to escape.

"Stop it!" she pushed him off as hard she could. Clair stumbled backward, his back hitting the desk; the bottle of liquor was knocked down, soaking the wooden surface.

Elisa couldn't help a pang of worry as Clair groaned from the harsh impact; his grimace of pain turned to a sneer.

 _"She chooses him."_ Clair thought as he straightened up. _"She was using me for protection. She lied to me. It was all a lie."_

Clair looked away from Elisa; he couldn't stand the pained look on her face. She was the one who betrayed him, not the other way around. She had no right to look so hurt when his heart was breaking.

"If that's how you feel than you can just leave. That last thing I need is a foolish woman getting in my way." Clair sat back down stiffly in his chair and took a large swig of his drink; it burned going down. "Get out and you'd better pray I never catch you around here again."

Elisa stared at him questioningly, but he wouldn't meet her gaze.

 _"You promised we'd see the fireworks together."_

That's what she wanted to say. Instead she began walking toward the office doors with clenched fists.

"Yes sir."

He didn't even stir as Elisa turned from him; as upset as she felt at him, she

 _"Why does he have to be like this? Why did he-?"_ Elisa wasn't sure how she felt toward him. All she could know for sure was his dismissal was as painful as the kiss he forced on her. _"I really am on my own here now."_

"I already told you not to call me that. You know I don't like repeating myself."

Elisa gasped as arms held her almost painfully tight; she turned her head slightly, trying to see the expression on his face as he buried it into her hair.

"I changed my mind, I don't care if you choose him. " Clair whispered roughly. "You took the oath, drank my blood; you're mine." he continued in a voice so quiet, Elisa could just barely hear him. "We haven't seen the fireworks together. I made a promise and I'm going to keep it, even if I have to drag you with me. Elisa, you just can't go."

"I'm not in love with Dino." Elisa said after a pause. "I-"

"Elisa!" Clair laughed brokenly and pulled her over to the couch and hugged her tighter. "I shouldn't have done that, I don't know what I was thinking."

"You scared me." Elisa said somberly; regardless, she hugged him back gently.

Clair looked up at her. "I'm sorry. I just…" his voice lowered to a hiss as he stroked her face. "I was angry when I thought that he might've kissed you." Clair smiled ruefully. "I'm sure this makes me sound like a petulant child, but the very idea of it makes me so angry. It makes me crazy. No woman has ever smiled at me like you have and I don't want you to give that to anyone else. I don't want to share you."

Elisa blinked slowly. _"He's even more childish than I thought. Still…"_

"Clair, what does this mean?"

"That depends." Clair pulled away, but sat close enough so their legs still touched; he chuckled carelessly. It was surprising how quick his mood had changed, but Elisa was relieved. "I guess the cat's out of the bag huh? I think it's obvious enough how I feel. The real question is, how about you?"

Elisa bit her lip lightly, unaware of Clair fixedly staring as she did so.

"I'm not sure. I like you Clair, but I don't know if I have feelings stronger than that." she looked down and waited for the explosion; instead, she felt a hand lift her chin up carefully.

"I have to say, that's a shame. Is there anything I can do to persuade you?" Clair was staring at her without a trace of a smile, his eyes boring into her own with the utmost seriousness.

The only reason Elisa pulled away as he leaned in was due to the office doors swinging open.

"Yo, Vampire-oops." Daisuke's smile faltered. "Uh, sorry, am I interrupting something?"


	8. VIII

"I knew mafia relations could come from marrying into families, but I never thought you'd agree to one." Daisuke ended his sentence with a loud slurp, noodles slapping against his chin; a fleck of the broth hit his cheek and he swiped it away with the back of his gloved hand. "The Gambino's must be desperate for power if they're willing to let one of their own mix with Judoh's Vampire."

"For someone who's been gone for three years, you haven't changed a bit." Clair commented with a half smile, voice just betraying a hint of annoyance; he winced at every slurp his dining companion made. "Even when eating you manage to be irritating."

"I take it you've been visiting Shogun if you got that antidote." Daisuke pointed with his chopsticks to the packet in the front of Clair's shirt pocket. "How's he been?"

"As cryptic as always. Don't tell me you haven't paid a visit to any of your friends since you've been back?"

The humidity of the day was only enhanced from being in close proximity to the ovens and grills and boilings pan of the food stands; the air was hazy with smoke and flies. Giovanni and two other bodyguards kept close watch on their boss from a nearby food table; they didn't hold a candle to Ian and Mitchel of course, but they were alert and competent, despite seeming a bit flabbergasted to witness their employer eating grubby street food with a law enforcement official.

" _Then again, is Daisuke even still working for those people?"_ Giovanni wondered as he bit into an overdone eggroll. " _A three years vacation doesn't sound like something that lady friend of his would tolerate…"_

"I saw a few already, but the others will know I'm back." Daisuke rolled his chopsticks to et a clump of soaked noodles at the bottom of his bowl. "I missed this food."

"And you're wrong by the way." Clair added before another slurp could interrupt the conversation. "The Gambino's are more hostile than ever, if you must know."

"That sounds like trouble."

"As if anything they do could be a plausible threat." Clair scoffed. "Not that I'd divulge any details of my business to an officer of the law."

"And if the dirt you gave me was able to get the opposing family in trouble?"

"Sounds deceitful, don't you think? A real man would overcome his obstacles head on, not through snitching."

Daisuke smirked lopsidedly. "Then what was that scene I stumbled in on?"

"Elisa, or Elizabeth Smith as she's known to the public, is a runaway member serving me of her own free will." Clair glossed over the fact that it wasn't so voluntary at first, but it hardly mattered in the present. "She has zero ties to the Gambinos and she doesn't even have much to offer in the way of intel. Her father Sven Gambino kept her sheltered from all that awful gruesomeness."

Daisuke didn't miss the flippant mocking note in the Vampire's voice but made no comment; as matured as Clair might have become in the past, Daisuke doubted there was anything that would change the underlying bitterness he seemed to hold for the majority of the world and his own life.

" _Then again, do people ever really change?"_

Daisuke looked around idly; he supposed that three years wasn't that long of a time. Three years was a fraction of a lifetime. The very place he sat now looked exactly the same; the same food, the same smells, the same cook, who didn't look a day past the last time Daisuke had visited his stand. If he didn't know better, he could have said he had only left Judoh for a day.

In essence, he was the same, even after his travels. He still enjoyed the same things, wore the same clothes, had maybe only grown an inch. Kyoko was the same, maybe the hair a bit longer, the smile a bit easier when she saw him for the first time, but she was essentially Kyoko in all her professionalism and gentle scolding at him almost missing the date. J was exactly the same, of course. Androids couldn't change unless they were programmed to.

" _And this guy...he's still a mixed up kid at his core. Maybe he's proven himself to be the don, but that barely seems to scratch the surface of his issues…."_

Daisuke looked over to where Giovanni and the unfamiliar guards sat and ate. "How come they aren't over here?"

"It's better surveillance to spread out you know." Clair said simply; he was mashing up his own food, mixing the stew and the rice into a clumped mess. "I have men here in plains clothes too all around the area."

"What, can't defend yourself?"

"Against what might be a few dozen rivals waiting to gun me down, get a sniper on my location, poison me, put a bomb in my house, etc….I'm not stubborn enough to refuse a little help."

"Huh, that's actually pretty smart of you."

"If I'm dead, what happens to Company Vita? I haven't come all this way and worked this hard to lose it over carelessness." Clair told him. "And I've always been smart. Just not all that wise sadly."

Daisuke refrained from staring at the young man next to him. "So, what is she doing there? You really don't think she's going to double cross you?"

Clair paused before answering. "If I were her, I would...but she's nothing like me. Honestly, if it was anyone else, I would have had her killed the second I found out who she was."

"What changed your mind?"

"I told you, she's nothing like me. She's not like anyone in this world I've met."

"This world?" Daisuke looked skeptical.

"This world. My world." Clair gestured to himself and his guards. "Well, not this world either, the one of greasy, borderline lethal processed cuisine."

"Hey, my stuff is fresh." the cook said loudly as he fried noodles; Daisuke took note he didn't argue against any of the other points made.

"Well, I wouldn't know. Didn't get a chance to say a word to her after you pulled a gun on me."

Clair looked at him dully. "As if you would neglect to wear a bulletproof vest."

"That's not really my point…" Daisuke ruffled his hair with a half smile. "Hey, what does she do there anyway?"

"My personal doctor basically, at least for things that I don't need a hospital for. She was working there as a bartender first."

"What?"

"Her cousin taught her to mix drinks."

"Oh."

"Daisuke, tell me something." Clair rested his chin in his hand. "Did you believe killing me would make things easier? That your father's memory could rest in peace in your mind after you saw the son of his killer dead?"

"Sure, at first. But let's face it, it was too much trouble." Daisuke said bluntly. "Besides, it wouldn't change anything. Vengeance, murder...nah, it just makes things more complicated and I don't need that mess. I barely get enough down time as it is."

"So, you're a lazy bum."

"I'd like to think I know when enough is enough. Seems to me like you learned that too."

Clair almost smiled. "Something like that."

A lull of silence came over them as they ate; then a thought came to Daisuke.

"Hey, why'd you ask that anyway?"

"I wondered when you'd catch that." Clair chuckled briefly. "The thing is, you and I aren't too different in some respects. When I first discovered that, it was more than irritating. I hated you, but I also recognized that you had a point. I would have rather you killed me than have someone see that."

"I hated you too." Daisuke admitted freely. "You were your father's son and that was that."

He didn't mention the fact that he soon came to realize that Clair wasn't much more than a confused kid trying to fill a role he wasn't nearly ready for yet. "It wasn't hard to imagine killing you for what happened to my father, even after all those years."

"The thing is, there's someone who was put in the same position as us. The difference being pulling the trigger was not an option."

"I'm sure they have their reasons." Daisuke shrugged. "What's your point?"

"There's someone who is so similar to me and yet they're different in every way." Clair pushed the remains of his rice and stew around on his plate. "And what's more, they see me and I want to hate them for it. But I can't." he laughed abruptly. "Can't you see how irritating that is?!"

Daisuke leaned back and rubbed his full stomach. "Nope."

Dino restrained himself from straining his neck to listen in to the conversation; Giovanni watched him from the corner of his eyes.

"Hey kid, you're already on thin ice. What, you trying to look more suspicious?"

"Just curious. It sounds like they're talking about Ms. Elisa." Dino answered candidly while he munched what looked like a cross between as pastry and an accident.

"Yeah, and that's none of our business." Giovanni reminded him. "And you need to keep your eyes and ears peeled for threats, not gossip on your old bosses kid."

Dino frowned. "Sure thing."

"We just follow orders. Your first and foremost job is to make sure the Vampire is safe."

"And my second job?"

Giovanni raised an eyebrow. "Don't get your own head blown off."

"I was thinking it was to protect Ms. Elisa."

"Sure, I guess that makes sense." Giovanni scratched his stubble and relaxed in his chair; the bench was stiff but he had slept on harder surfaces. "She is our medic in emergencies; if something happens to the Vampire and she's harmed, then we've got problems."

Dino nodded and continued to eat silently; he didn't think Giovanni really needed to know what was going through his mind.

" _I couldn't care less who the Vampire is or whether he lives or dies. I'm just in this for Ms. Elisa to make sure she's okay."_ Dino wanted to ask more questions as to why their boss was having lunch with a detective; from what he had been told, he had no business with him. " _A social call? With how paranoid this kid is, it's hard to believe he'd voluntarily make ties with law enforcers. Maybe this guy is crooked…no, if it was on business, they wouldn't be talking out in the open like this where rival families could plant spies."_

Dino pushed up his sunglasses at the harsh glare of the sun; he wished he could have gone as one of the plains clothes guards. The suit jackets were stuffy as hell, but Giovanni, for all his gruff talk, insisted on looking professional. Dino stuffed the rest of his snack in his mouth.

" _It's a change, but I'll just have to bear with it."_


End file.
